Netflix subscribers have been urged to check out a new addition to the streaming platform that has been hailed as "one of the best films of the decade." Television critic Luke Ecclestone describes the movie, which is based on a true story, as "emotional and heartbreaking."
What is Aftersun About?
The 2022 semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. "The film I am talking about is Aftersun," Luke revealed in a TikTok video. "I spoke about it in 2022 when it came out, but now it's on Netflix I am so happy because more people need to see it."
Written and directed by Charlotte Wells - her debut feature - the film draws on her own childhood, following the recollections of a young Scottish girl named Sophie, who holidays with her father Calum, portrayed by Oscar nominee Paul Mescal.
Critical Acclaim and Audience Reactions
"She goes through old memories and VHS tapes to really get down to remembering her dad, who she sadly lost at a young age and notices the young struggle he is going through," Luke added of the storyline. He continued: "It is such an extraordinary and beautiful film. I will never, ever forget it. If you are a fan of films, you will have probably heard of it, but I beg you to get Aftersun on your watchlist because it is such an important film."
The British drama's synopsis reads: "At a fading vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie treasures rare time together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum. As a world of adolescence creeps into view, beyond her eye, Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood. Twenty years later, Sophie's tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship, as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't, in Charlotte Wells' superb and searingly emotional debut film."
Ratings and Reviews
Aftersun boasts a remarkable IMDb rating of 7.6 out of 10 based on 130,000 reviews. One recent 10-star review reads: "This film crept up on me. I was worried it was a gimmicky art film (plus at the beginning the dialogue was hard to decipher) but as the film went on I was swept up in it - purely down to Paul Mescal's and Francesca Corio's performances. Achingly beautiful. I was crying without realising and also on the tube home - the tears just kept coming but it was nothing to do with me."
And a second viewer commented: "I cannot remember a time that a film made me cry. I can't even think of this movie without feeling knots in my throat. This is such a heartbreaking portrait of parenthood with depression, specifically the perpetual pursuit of keeping that side of you from your child, for the sake of making lasting memories with them. The little details and layers upon layers to the characters is just spectacular. The performances left me totally speechless. The subtlety and the natural flow of the dialogue and interactions takes a screenwriter with a deep understanding of the human condition."
Awards and Nominations
Aftersun secured four nominations at the 76th BAFTA Awards, with Wells claiming the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer prize. Mescal earned a Best Lead Actor nomination at the 95th Academy Awards, alongside a BAFTA nomination in the same category.
